The year is 2013. Before the AAA 400, Kyle Busch was asked about his eight-year playoff victory drought. With a shrug, he responded, “So I would take winning a championship over winning a Chase race any day of the week, no doubt about it.” Busch’s words revealed a mindset that set him apart from others. While many chase the glory of playoff victories, Busch was focused on the bigger prize—the championship.

Fast forward to today, and his attitude hasn’t changed. For Kyle Busch, the playoffs are just a means to an end. What really matters is having a shot at the title, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen, as pointed out by NASCAR legend Kyle Petty.

Kyle Busch wants to win it all, according to Kyle Petty

In a recent episode of the Performance Racing Network’s Fast Track podcast, Kyle Petty delved into Kyle Busch’s championship mentality. Petty emphasized that for Busch, merely making the playoffs isn’t sufficient; his focus is on securing championships. He stated, “Kyle Busch wants to win races and contend for a championship.” Petty continued, emphasizing the difference between drivers who merely want to make the playoffs and those who are laser-focused on winning a championship.

“Just to win a race to get in the playoffs, that’s ho-hum for Kyle Busch. It really is,” Petty explained. “There’s that elite group that Kyle Busch belongs to that [say], ‘Yeah, I want to be in the playoffs… but I wanna have a shot at winning the playoffs and that’s more important than even getting to the playoffs is having that shot to be able to win,” he further added.

Kyle Busch’s record backs up Petty’s view. Busch has qualified for the playoffs 11 times. He has converted two of those appearances into Cup Series championships—one in 2015 and another in 2019. In addition to his titles, Busch finished 2nd in the 2017 championship race, further proving his desire to be at the top rather than simply participating.

Petty also touched upon how some drivers just want a win to get into the playoffs. A prime example of this would be Austin Dillon at Richmond Raceway in 2024. The driver was in third towards the end of the race and wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin out of the race to take the checkered flag. However, for his deliberate actions, NASCAR rightfully stripped him of his playoff berth but let him keep the win. Busch is not of this mentality, despite being teammates with Dillon at Richard Childress Racing. His desire to contend for a title has shown in his racing so far this season, however, luck has not been on his side.

Despite his pedigree, the 2025 season has not been kind to Busch. A series of unfortunate incidents have prevented him from winning a race, despite some strong performances. At Daytona, Busch was involved in a wreck that ended his chances of winning with 20 laps still to go while he was running in the top 5. Then, at Atlanta, Carson Hocevar’s incident caused Busch to lose several places and finish in 8th place despite being a top runner.

Hocevar slid into Busch on multiple occasions, which got Rowdy furious. He was heard saying on his radio, “Go tell that No. 77 [Carson Hocevar] he’s done that same [expletive] move 10 times, I don’t care if I wreck the whole [expletive] field. I’m over him. He’s a [expletive] douchebag. I’m going to wreck his a–.” The misfortune continued at COTA.

Busch led a race high 42 laps, overtaking road course ace Shane van Gisbergen on Lap 27. However, with the laps dwindling, Denny Hamlin and Austin Dillon got into a wreck, which brought out a caution flag. Busch had a 2 second lead on the field at this point and had it snapped away as his tyres were wearing. This let Christopher Bell, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Chase Elliott all get past him by the end of the race. Busch was arguably the best driver on the day and ended the race in 5th place.

While Busch’s performance continues to impress, the winless streak drags on. He has now gone 60 races without a win. His commitment to contending for championships remains unchanged. But until that elusive win arrives, the 2025 season may be seen as a testing ground for Busch’s championship aspirations.

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Can Busch end his winless streak at the Shriners Children’s 500?

The Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway is up next, and Kyle Busch is desperately hoping to break his winless streak. Busch has an impressive history at Phoenix, with three victories under his belt. His first win came in 2005, followed by triumphs in 2018 and 2019. Phoenix has proven to be a good track for Busch in the past. However, his recent record there is concerning.

Busch finished outside the top-20 in his last three races at Phoenix. In fact, ever since switching to Richard Childress Racing in 2023, Busch has only one top-10 finish at Phoenix, an 8th place run in March 2023. Maybe the RCR car isn’t built for a track like that? That could certainly be the case, as in two of those finishes outside the top-20, Busch was still the highest-placing RCR car on the grid. However, 2025 Busch seems to have come with a newfound motivation to lead the pack, as he has done in every race so far this season, barring the Daytona 500.

In addition to his past victories, Busch’s experience at Phoenix gives him a competitive advantage. His familiarity with the track’s unique layout and challenging turns could play a pivotal role in securing his first win of the season. However, the competition will be fierce, and Busch will need to avoid the mistakes that have kept him from winning so far.

Busch’s last Cup Series win came in June 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Recently, at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, Busch led for a race-high 42 laps but ultimately finished fifth after a late caution ruined his chances. His older tires and track position were no match for the fresh rubber of other contenders like Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott. As the Shriners Children’s 500 approaches, the question remains: Can Kyle Busch finally snap his winless streak and claim victory at a track where he’s been so successful in the past? Let us know in the comments!